TITLE:
Melatonin: A Powerful Integrative Adjunctive Agent for Oncology
AUTHORS:
Robert Schettig, Trevor Sears, Matthew Klein, Ruth Tan-Lim, Ronald Matthias, Christopher Aussems, Michael Hummel, Rory Sears, Zachary Poteet, Daniel Warren, John Oertle, Connor Coffin, Dino Prato
KEYWORDS:
Melatonin, Oncology, Immunotherapy, Chronic Inflammation, Autoimmune, Envita, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antiangiogenesis, Telomerase, Metastasis, Anti-Proliferation, Pro-Apoptosis, Immune System Activation, Cancer Adjuvant, Chemotherapy Synergy
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.11 No.9,
September
28,
2020
ABSTRACT: Melatonin
is an established hormone supplement and has been well recognized for its
effect on the circadian cycle to improve sleep, REM (rapid eye movement), and
aiding in jetlag recovery. The utility of melatonin extends beyond sleep aid,
however. This hormone also possesses less well-known antioxidant action and
even robust anticancer activity. Melatonin may be a key supplement for
addressing age-related neurologic decline while serving as a valuable
adjunctive cancer treatment that reduces drug resistance in tumors and
downregulates angiogenesis. In immunotherapy, melatonin activates Natural
Killer (NK) cells nested within tumoral tissue and does not have the side
effect profile of other immunoreactive agents used for chemotherapy. Since
melatonin is found in high concentrations in the brain and other hormone-linked
tissues, the relevance of melatonin is increased for the treatment of
estrogen-linked cancers. The immunomodulatory effect of melatonin may also help
with chronic inflammation seen in patients with autoimmune disorders. All of these
effects together represent a unique and versatile therapeutic agent for
integrative medicine. No other commercially available drug possesses all of
these therapeutic mechanisms while having a very minimal side effect profile and being considered overall to be
safe to use. Currently, melatonin is underutilized in medicine, especially in
the field of integrative oncology and represents a crucial supportive adjuvant
to improve the lives of patients.